Change text size
In the financial year 2006/07 the ABF made around 2500 grants to individuals and families. This chart shows the proportion of grants that were used in different ways:
Around 1000 older veterans or their widows, living alone on basic pensions receive small annuities to supplement their incomes.
We provide modest top-up grants to help with the costs of care home fees where Local Authority grants are insufficient.
We give grants to assist with education and training. Grants are made to several training colleges around the UK which run courses to retrain people disabled by accident or illness. Individual grants are also made towards training course fees and essential equipment, while our bursary scheme supports former soldiers who undertake higher education courses in order to find appropriate work after leaving the Army. Children of soldiers who have died or been severely disabled in service may also qualify for continuing education grants.
Each year over 200 families (around 650 people) benefit from our special holiday schemes for families under stress. We are able to offer short breaks at Pontins and Warner holiday resorts. We also make an annual grant to The Guild of St Helena towards the cost of holidays for Service children with special needs.
We administer three special funds to assist soldiers who have been injured while on active service in Northern Ireland, The Falklands Campaign or The Gulf War. Dependants of those killed in these campaigns may also qualify for help from the funds. The George Purse Trust provides grants to those who live in South Wales and are in need of respite care.
Grants can be made for a wide variety of purposes, as long as there is a clear need which cannot be met from other sources e.g. statutory grants and benefits, local funds etc. One in five of these grants are made towards mobility aids e.g. wheelchairs, stairlifts, special beds etc.
